China

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FC: Chamber of Commerce Trip to China October 1-9, 2010

2: Monitors show where we are in English and Chinese | The plane from the camera on the tail | The plane from the camera on the tail | This is where we are at 9:30 PM | The plane from the camera on the tail

6: The Crowne Plaza Sun Palace. We stayed here for the three nights we were in Beijing.

7: Beijing

8: Sunday, October 3 Beijing We stopped at a park on the way to the Temple of Heaven. The people go there to exercise, play games, and visit with their friends.

10: The Temple of Heaven The Temple of Heaven is less a religious site than a historical one. Dating from the 15th century, it was where the emperor made an annual pilgrimage, complete with a huge entourage, to pray for good harvests. Commoners were prohibited from viewing the ceremonies. It is made up of several circular, blue-tiled buildings. The color blue represents the heavens. The crown jewel is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, which stands on a square marble terrace (representing the earth). The three-story building was fitted together without a single nail, peg or bit of cement. It was reconstructed after a fire destroyed the original in the 19th century.